A virtual acoustic environment may be one in which a user of a wearable audio device hears sound that has been processed or “rendered” to incorporate auditory cues that give the user the impression of being at a particular location or orientation with respect to one or more virtual audio sources. For example, a head related transfer function (HRTF) can be used to model the effects of diffraction and absorption of acoustic waves by anatomical features such as the user's head and ears. Additionally, in some virtual acoustic environments, additional auditory cues that contribute to externalization and distance perception incorporate the effects of reflections within a simulated auditory space.